Concentration of ores



H. V. SEALE AND W. SHELLSHEA R.

CONCENTRATION OF ORES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 23,1911.

131L920, Patented Aug. 5,1919.

ures rATENr o rc mmtY vEBNoN SEALE, or sesame-Lam -WILTON SHELLSHEAB, or NAM-TU, BURMA,

- IRATION'A'MERICAN SYNDICATE 1913 LIMITED, 01: LONDON, ENGLAND, A coRroaA TION or -Gama BRITAIN.

i v l 1 .1 all :wlwnriit may concern: 1 a

finite and WiL'roN' SIIELLSHEAR, subjects of the K ng of Great Britaln', and both formerly resldmg at J unctlon North Mlne.

7 Broken Hill, in the State of New, South.

'ales, Commonwealth of Australia, but

now residing. respectively, at East Maitland,

New South Wales, Commonwealth of Australia, and Nam-tn, Northern Shan States, Burma, India, have invented certain new and: useful Improvements in Concentration of ()res,f f which the following .a, speoifi 'tion, r eference being had therein to the a eu iwn ns. r ina e rmin P r .theeofil}. v

hi n;\ 'ei 1tion relates; to apparatus for oncentiationgof sulfid and other oresjby process generally knowfnj as flotation i paratioi ,and contains divisional subjectamatter, disclosed a and broadly cl a med ln our United States Patent application Ser al No;

64 ,390, filed,.; June 30, 21.915, and is to'that tent a, continuation thereof. :While ,re- ;l: ingl torflotation separation broadly, the

inventiomis .more especially a concerned with {frothflotation separationn which the ore gpulps.;are ,aerated, generally withtheassistalifce of a frothing agent, to form a floatslingt'r'oth containing the mctalliferous mineral particles. i l

lhe;ajparatus. comprising this invention -equally =-af1pplicable either to collective separation for thcrecovcry ofan indiscriminat float concentrate ()flllfititllifBPOllS minei'als )r forfthefdifferential or preferential fiota ion separation of certain particular nietallifermisminerals in discrimination against other metalliferous minerals carried in the pulp. Also the invention is equally applicable to the treatment of ores, concentrates, tailings, slimes or other metallurgical products, and it will be understood that the term ores as employed in this specification includes all such metallurgical products as well as crude-materials.

Simplicity, economy, eflieiency and reliability of construction and operation are the objects of the invention.

The expressions air and aeration are used-in the following claims as understood continuously flows by gravity box B through the vertical conduittBi and baths such as A NEW scorn WALES, AU'TRALIA, AND INDIA, ASSIGNORS To'MmERALs SEPA- concnn'mamon or-oansf I v in the art and are intended to include other Be .it, known that we, HARRY VERNON suitable gases'and ga'sification, indeed air Patented Aug. 5, 1919; L 7 .Application filed May.23, 1917. semi No. 1' 7(i,562. i

is but a mixture of gases in somewhat vary:

'ingproportions. The present invention relates particularly to the means of injecting air into the ore pulp. 1 i

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of an ore concentradting system embodying our invention; an

ing means and separating vessels,

by anyjsuitable, means, is supplied with an ore pulp maintained at an, approximately T119491? P P he fe constant level within the box.

f iill into ,the first separating vessel {this gravity flow of ypulp'tinduces, an irru tion of air through the-perforations; B?-', i

upper end of this conduit byjvirtueof ,aniinejector arrangement which is. duplicz rted at the upper end-of each of the sucqfi'ssiye con next throughout the entire series; iasl represented. This alr nnJector at the ,upper ,end

1 of each vertical ,conduitfiB eomprllses. 5: a nozzle .A vessel'abjove and .wh1ch is somewhat smaller which receives-the pulp fromithe in the (conduit. 2 The rush ofipulp from the lower end of theinozzle engages the ,surrounding air. and forces itdownwardso as to induce a subpressure in the air-induction space and effect a violent eruption of air thromrh the inlets B which mixes with the pulp inits fall.

The lower end of each conduit discharges the pulp into the next succeeding separation vessel at a.point below the liquid ,level therein, and preferably against a deflecting I suitably mounted in the separating .Vesseland serving to churn the Fig; 2 isan enlarged sectional-elevation 1'ep1'esenting the interior of the lair-inject a, gravity from each, separating vesselto the 1 Withthe outer air throughperforationsrB a mixed pulp and air into a more perfect emulsion to produce the desired flotation froth which overflows from the separator into the launder A carrying with it the desired concentrates which may be drained off in a pipe F. An annular upper baffle such' as A maybe employed to deflect the rising froth toward the overflow edge of the separating vessel.

Thus the course of pulp flow leads through the succesive air injectors and separating vessels while each separatin vessel subtracts its concentrate by froth flotation and delivers its residue pulp to the separating vessel next in order, so that each vessel acts as a feed box for the next vessel. I The loss of liquid thus entailed by the delivery to each launder may be compensated by extra liquid admitted to the successive conduits B through small pipes under control of regulating valves D and taking. their supply from the pipe line D connected with a suitable source G. Manifestly the rate 9f overflow from'the successive separating vessels can be governed by the adjustment of these valves controlling the supplemental li i id supply. p p

he form of the invention may be widely varied within the spirit and scope of the following claimsi i 1. "Apparatus for the concentration of ores by flotation-separation comprising a frothseparatlng' vessel, a' pulp conduit leading I into the froth-separating vessel and includmg an inner jet-dischar 'ng nozzle surrounded by the outer con nit-wall with an intervening air-induction space surrounding the nozzle, one or'inore air.inlets leading to the air-induction space from the outer air, and means for producing a flow of pulp through the conduit and its nozzle and into the froth-separating vessel, with such velocity that the flow of pulp through the nozzle and conduit will induce irruption of air to aerate the pulp,,and the hydraulic violence of pulp fiowwill effect that degree of agitation necessary for the formation of mineral-carrying froth, i

p 2. Apparatus for the concentration 0563s; by flotation-separation comprising a frothseparating vessel, 2. pulp-condu t leadin into the froth sep'arating vessel and inclu ing an inner jet-discharging orifice arranged to discharge a 'jet of pulp lnto an air-induc.

operated air injector.

the concentration of ores tion space within the conduitbut communieating with the outer air, a baflie disposed in the froth-separating vessel in .the path of the pulp flow, and means for producing a flow of pulp through the conduit and intodischarge pipe connected to the bottom of the feed box and delivering into the said separating vessel below the surface of the. l .1

liquid therein and provided with holes to allow the admission of air to form a pulpat. Apparatus 'for by flotatlon-separation comprising a separating vessel having a residucsoiitflow,at

the bottom, a feed box open at the top, a discharge pipe connected to the bottom of the feed box and delivering to the said scparating vessel below the surface of the liquid therein and provided with holes to allow the admission ofair to form a pulp-operated air injector, and a bafiie arranged within the saidseparating vessel in the path of 5. Apparatus for the concentration of ores by flotation-separation comprising a plurality of separating vessels each provided with I a residues discharge pipe at the bottom having holes therein to allow the admission of alr toform a pulp-operated an injector and each pipe delivering into the next succeedthe liquid therein.

In testlmony whereof we have signed our names to this spdcification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY VERNON SEADE. WILTON SHELLSHEAR- Witnesses EM MA HART,

G. L. CULLEN.

ing separating vessel below the surface of 

